On Thursday, Belgium play their qualification for the round of 16 of the World Cup in the last match of Group F against Croatia. A final game for which coach Roberto Martinez has already drawn up his game plan.
“The game plan for Croatia is already ready, the composition will depend on the recovery after our last game and how the players train“, Martinez assured Monday during a press briefing.”Bringing more speed is an option, but you also need to find the right balance. We keep all options open. Croatia is a competitive team that revolves around three midfielders (Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic, editor’s note) who have played together for a long time. If you want to beat them, you need to block these three players.”
Against Morocco, Martinez had changed his defense by sliding Timothy Castagne into the defensive trio at the expense of Leander Dendoncker, while Thorgan Hazard and Thomas Meunier took charge on the flanks. Against Croatia, Dendoncker should find his place in the defense.
“I feel we are ready to make changes and adapt game by game. It is always an advantage to be flexible in a WC. The players are ready and they have the experience to do it. Against Morocco, we put Castagne on the left of the defensive trio because the Moroccan right flank was the most dangerous. We would counter Ziyech, who is left-handed, with a right-handed defender. The combination with Thorgan Hazard was also good. Our defensive performance was good but we didn’t create enough. We must play without fear of losing. The game plan is one thing, but it is above all about playing liberated.”
